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Laura Ingraham: English is "In Decline" Because of Mexicans

Ay, another day, another ridiculous statement to justify intolerance and mislead the public. Laura Ingraham, a right-wing pundit and Fox News contributor, is apparently operating under the belief that Mexican immigrants are looking to reclaim the western United States, wiping out any signs of English left in their wake.

Speaking on her radio show, Ingraham agreed when a caller said immigrants "have learned to game the system," but took it even further when the caller remarked that she can't go into parts of Colorado because she doesn't speak Spanish.

"No, your language is gone," Ingraham said. "Your language–in fact, your language is not only in decline, the English language, Chris; it's actually a sign of jingoism."

For those not familiar, jingoism is a term that means (according to Merriam-Webster): the feelings and beliefs of people who think that their country is always right and who are in favor of aggressive acts against other countries.

This would be the appropriate time to laugh.

Let's talk facts:

1) English in the United States is not in decline. Nope. Not true.

2) The Spanish language is increasing in use, but funnily enough, not among Hispanics. Si. It's true. It's non-Latinos who are picking up Spanish and teaching it to their children, while Latinos, like other immigrant groups before them, have decreased in the usage of their native language. By 2020, the share of Hispanics who will speak Spanish is projected to fall from 75% to 66%, according to the Pew Research Center.

3) The rise in Spanish among non-Latinos can easily be explained by the opportunities afforded to those who speak more than one language, especially Spanish, which is the second largest language spoken in the U.S. This is not only a reflection of Latinos migrating to the U.S., but of a larger working global economy.

See what else Ingraham had to say about Latinos wanting to take over the U.S. on page 2 >>